Chip cards are used in telecommunications, in particular for example in mobile GSM or UMTS systems, for the unique and secure identification of the subscribers as well as for providing various special functions and value-added services. To this end the chip cards or chip card applications (referred to together as “SIM” or synonymously as subscriber identification module) referred to for example as UICC, SIM, USIM, R-UIM or also as ISIM depending on the generation and type of the underlying system standard bear a plurality of special parameters, secret keys and further elements of various kinds for example relating to network operator, provider, product or subscriber.
To commission a mobile terminal device and subscribe to the mobile radio telephone service, a SIM with specific individual data—at least the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), secret key K and individual parameters for the authentication algorithm—is mandatory. Corresponding elements must be present in the subscriber databases, for example the home location register (HLR/AC or HSS) of the home network, otherwise it is not possible to set up a connection from the subscriber side or from the network side.
Loading the SIMs and the specification of the individual data are carried out within the scope of the card production during the so-called personalization, in any case long before the subscriber identification module SIM is used. The value chain of the card preparation is generally represented as follows:                Chip manufacturer: Manufactures the chip with (parts of) the operating software.        Card manufacturer: Manufactures the card body, implants the chip, optionally loads further, non-individual parts of the operating software and corresponding data.        Personalizer: Loads more individualized data, individual subscriber identifiers, secret keys and optionally further parts of the software (applications). Exchanges individual data with the network operator. Is usually identical to the card manufacturer.        Packager/logistician: Packages and ships the personalized chip cards to the network operator or other destinations. Can be identical to the card manufacturer and/or the personalizer.        Network operator: Operates the communications network. Defines the personalization for his products, supplies all specifications to the personalizer, obtains individual data (at least IMSI, K and individual parameters of the authentication algorithm) from the personalizer to establish the subscriber relationships in his databases.        
At the end of the provision process the SIMs are in the retail outlets of the network operator. The assignment to the concrete customer and the assignment of a telephone number does not occur until the conclusion of a mobile radio agreement within the scope of the so-called activation. The activation requires that the subscriber relationship is stored in the databases of the network operator.
The following should be given as disadvantages of this process chain, in particular of centralized personalization:                Specialization and individualization of the product early in the preparation chain, the actual requirement can only be estimated at this time.        Tying up of resources (database and number capacity) for the network operator takes place in part long before the actual requirement.        Very special service with technically complex solutions and restricted flexibility. High expenditure for the support of the external personalizer. Changes are generally ordered after bid, then developed, tested and accepted, with corresponding time needed. Necessary flexibility requires complex interfaces.        Considerable difficulties in handling new SIM designs, such as non-removable or “machine-to-machine” (M2M) variants. Leads to unfavorable specialization as early as the primary products. Shackles innovation.        
Alternative “soft” concepts for SIMs are completely impossible with conventional personalization.